A Boot Stamping on a Human Face Forever: How the Revolution Will Be Defeated

The US is at the forefront of an international arms development effort that includes a remarkable assortment of technologies, which look and sound like they belong in a Hollywood science fiction thriller. From microwave energy blasters and blinding laser beams, to chemical agents and deafening sonic blasters, these weapons are at the cutting edge of crowd control.

The Pentagon’s approved term for these weapons is “non-lethal” or “less-lethal” and they are intended for use against the unarmed . Designed to “control crowds, clear streets, subdue and restrain individuals and secure borders,” they are the 21st century’s version of the police baton, pepper spray and tear gas. As journalist Ando Arike puts it, “The result is what appears to be the first arms race in which the opponent is the general population.”

The demand for non-lethal weapons (NLW) is rooted in the rise of television. In the 1960s and ’70s the medium let everyday Americans witness the violent tactics used to suppress the civil rights and anti-war movements.

Today’s rapid advancements in media and telecommunications technologies allow people to record and publicize images and video of undue force more than ever before. Authorities are well aware of how images of violence play out publicly. In 1997, a joint report from the Pentagon and the Justice Department warned:

“A further consideration that affects how the military and law enforcement apply force is the greater presence of members of the media or other civilians who are observing, if not recording, the situation. Even the lawful application of force can be misrepresented to or misunderstood by the public. More than ever, the police and the military must be highly discreet when applying force.”

The global economic collapse coupled with the unpredictable and increasingly catastrophic consequences of climate change and resource scarcity, along with a new era of austerity defined by rising unemployment and glaring inequality have already led to massive protests in Spain, Greece, Egypt, and even Madison, Wisconsin. From the progressive era to the Great Depression to the civil rights movement, Americans have a rich history of taking to the streets to demand greater equality.

Meanwhile, tens of millions of dollars have been invested in the research and development of more “media-friendly” weapons for everyday policing and crowd control. This has lead to a trade-in of old school weapons for more exotic and controversial technologies. The following are six of the most outrageous “non-lethal” weapons that will define the future of crowd control.

1. The Invisible Pain Ray: The ‘Holy Grail of Crowd Control’

It sounds like a weapon out of Star Wars. The Active Denial System, or ADS, works like an open-air microwave oven, projecting a focused beam of electromagnetic radiation to heat the skin of its targets to 130 degrees. This creates an intolerable burning sensation forcing those in its path to instinctively flee (a response the Air Force dubs the ” goodbye effect“).

The Pentagon’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (JNLWP) says, “This capability will add to the ability to stop, deter and turn back an advancing adversary, providing an alternative to lethal force.” Although ADS is described as non-lethal, a 2008 report by physicist and less-lethal weapons expert Dr. Jürgen Altmann suggests otherwise:

” … the ADS provides the technical possibility to produce burns of second and third degree. Because the beam of diameter 2 m and above is wider than human size, such burns would occur over considerable parts of the body, up to 50% of its surface. Second- and third-degree burns covering more than 20% of the body surface are potentially life-threatening – due to toxic tissue-decay products and increased sensitivity to infection – and require intensive care in a specialized unit. Without a technical device that reliably prevents re-triggering on the same target subject, the ADS has a potential to produce permanent injury or death. “

Read more here, and imagine what technologies haven’t been publicized.

Cheapest way would be to stay the hell away from them and their users.

Rhoid Rager

Magazines inside of shirt for tasers–reduces the chance of the probe piercing the skin on your torso (the biggest target). With microwave ray guns, I believe plastic shields work. But if a crowd has the means to overcome these weapons, that’s when the police/military (same diff) start shooting.

echar

Not that I am an engineer or anything, I was just theorizing about cheaply made countering armor. Also ear protection for sonic blasters.

If they start shooting then they will give credence for greater support of any sort of resistance, in the US at least.

To put it in a more colloquial form, shit gets serious when people die for a cause.

To riff off of Simon Valentine said. Ashes, they taste like fodder.

Rhoid Rager

Makes me wonder what Valentine is like in real life…. I picture some guy walking around in a cape and bowler hat…flashing lights in people’s eyes as he murmurs, ‘where is god?’

echar

If so, I want to be his friend.

Valentine said:

Ashes, they taste like chicken.

echar

Even better, he says pew pew pew when he shines the lights in their eyes.

Juan

I can never make sense of anything he writes.

echar

I think it depends on how obscure the imagery is from which he draws to paint his word tapestries. Or if he is actually trying to make sense. Maybe he’s drawing from some algorithm to make comments. Kind of like those academic papers that were peer reviewed that we was all just random words thrown together.

example:

What is this piece – a bit of circus to distract us while the powerful work out how to get us fighting over the bread? I suppose we’ve come a long way from the days when people protested the horror of Revolution. Too bad Ministry of Silly Squawks do not have the facility to think ahead and to think clearly but instead easily falter in the heat of the moment. Don’t be nutty Simon Valentine. I wonder if they will ever get
it.

Give your reasoning for that statement, please. Isn’t this a great example of what an incredible waste of time Disinfo has become? Am afraid Echar has a screw loose. It may amaze you but astonishingly enough, scientists have recently discovered that comment generator is a horse designed by committee. What a huge coincidence that seems to be.

echar

I’ll say it again: What a standard flatulence remedies discussion. The answer is self-evidently ‘never’. What a load of hocus-pocus. American Cannibal? Is that you? Brotherhood of the bad manners have a lot in common with Napoleon Bonaparte in their “Let them eat cake” attitude.

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

I’m a Winner.

http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

What has me concerned is that frequently I can…

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

Smoke weed before you read his longer comments. That’s the key to understanding his connections.

Juan

I have tried. I just get frustrated and give up.

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

Keep smoking, don’t quit.

Hey, 8400 votes! It must be my lucky day, &&&.

Juan

Words to live by:)

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

Well, then. If that’s how you feel about it, you should quit. You’ll be better off in a week.

Juan

Actually, I am kinda working up to that.
I use it for sleep every night. I have no problem with that, since it works great and I also really enjoy the buzz. It’s just that I do not like being dependent on any substance to sleep, even if it is fun and harmless.
My corporate Kaiser doc prescribed Ambien– no thanks.

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

First, marijuana is not harmless, especially if you mix it with other junk like tobacco (not saying you do that, just saying’ it ain’t ‘harmless’. I know this as a daily consumer of the stuff). Second, if you have difficulty sleeping every night, try to look at your lifestyle. Are you eating as healthy as you could? Are you getting enough physical movement each day? Are there stressors or attachments that need to be addressed to help alieviate insomnia?

One piece of advice that is 100% effective is to avoid all electronics/screens for at least 1 hour before bedtime. This one I swear by. In fact, I avoid all screen 2 hours before bedtime. This really does help.

As for Ambien, I think taking that stuff can be dangerous for long-term use. It helps people on shift work (That’s when I took it). But use it sparingly, if you decide it may help. The best thing to do is avoid shift work and get to bed at the same time every night. Mmhmmm… that is a sure-fire way to get good sleep.

Juan

I find it harmless.
I only smoke at night, after dinner, and use a bong, so I figure good enough. The water gets most of the impurities and cools the smoke so it does not irritate my throat and lungs.
Thanks for the tip about the screen thing. I hadn’t thought of that, but it makes sense. I will give that a shot.
I only use Ambien for long flights. Better flying through chemistry:)

His constant allusions to video games leads me to believe he is probably pretty normal.

http://hormeticminds.blogspot.com/ Chaorder Gradient

There are many abnormal ways to be a gamer 😛

Hadrian999

that is why you use the crowd and not be part of it

kowalityjesus

God devised a low-tech counter for everything, even fascism/oligarchy. It’s called the Constitution.

Andrew

…

kowalityjesus

I’ll be here all night ladies and gentlemen!

Woobniggurath

God devised a low-tech counter for everything.

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

My favorite is Death.

Anarchy Pony

Assassination. Not protest.

echar

I feel that the results will not go in a constructive direction, if so.

Anarchy Pony

Well then it’s like Orwell said. A boot stamping on a human face forever.

echar

True story.

I knew this kid in junior high who thought it was cool to have the Anarchist cookbook. He had no intention of making anything out of it. He made copies and handed out a copy at school.

Someone made a drano bomb in a park near his house. It didn’t go off, so they left it there. Along came a young kid and picked it up. It blew up in that kids face. The kid I knew was arrested. This was around the time of the OK bombing.

The kid was interrogated by police and the FBI, even though he didn’t do anything. The kicker was the kid was gobbling LSD like twice a week around that time. This kid was told that someone said he did it. Was told about the things that he would have. Including bomb and drug paraphernalia.

The latter he had, the former he never did. This event changed his life forever. Thinking people he knew and trusted used him as a patsy. He decided that Anarchy is not cool, nor the books. He learned that just associating himself with such is risky.

THE END

Anarchy Pony

Cool story bro.

echar

Pearls unto ponies 😛

Anarchy Pony

I don’t have a copy of the anarchist cookbook(a notoriously inaccurate tome in the first place). I don’t present a visage of a dangerous political radical(have you seen SLC punk? I look like Jason Seigal’s character in that), I don’t own restricted materials or firearms. All I do is conjecture on the internet. The most radical item I own is 1 whole Noam Chomsky book. I saw a kid in my school go through basically the same story you just described. That has impressed upon me the importance of discretion.

I know dude, that’s the best part of the movie. Jason Segal’s freak out part is probably the second best, imo. That was me saying, right on dude.

Anarchy Pony

The part where he decides all the cars on his block would look better with broken windows? “The cops swore he was on angel dust ‘the only way he could’ve done it’.”

echar

He looks nothing like Jeremy Renner. 😛

Anarchy Pony

My my ass they don’t.

BuzzCoastin

The better part of Valour, is Discretion;
in the which better part, I have saved my life.

Anarchy Pony

The Buzz abides.

Eric_D_Read

That works with a lone despot.
But if the problem is systemic, which it is, someone will just step into those shoes and the system barely misses a beat.

Anarchy Pony

The only real option is to detach from the dominant system, but that is increasingly difficult, finding affordable unpolluted fertile land, finding like minded people to form a community, being able to provide income for your population for things like medical treatment and such. Eventually the revenuers(or their future corporate equivalent) will come for you and you’re fucked.

BuzzCoastin

nah,
they way out is easy once you get the hang of it
day one’s not a snap
but after awhile
zippedy do dah

Woobniggurath

Bro is right. Take up arms and fight if you think that’s fun, but, you know, fuck you asshole.

http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

Don’t wait til they’ve got the stuff all warmed up and pointing at you.

The goons have to stage this stuff and themselves somewhere. Those places can be surprisingly vulnerable.

One of my favorite stories is some guys in China who got a big truck and just ran over a bunch of cops while they were out for their morning jog. In fact, something similar has happened more than once.

kowalityjesus

GOURANGA!!

Calypso_1

Sure. Be able to hit a target beyond 500m.

http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

By the way, Appleseed can teach just about anyone to shoot the “Rifleman’s Quarter Mile” in the course of a weekend.

With iron sights.

I doubt you need help with that, but others may benefit. And it is surprisingly cost effective.

I figured that would get your approval.
Samuel was kin.
Due to that connection the family was given commissions several times in the 1-1 Cav/Dragoons, which was the first unit created by an act of congress.

http://www.ContraControl.com/ Zenc

That is an impressive bit of Pedigree.

Woobniggurath

The military world is full of very satisfying justification for the existence of the military world. It is an Ouroboros. The only path for actual resolution of conflict is nonviolence.

Woobniggurath

And it takes far greater commitment.

Calypso_1

The only commitment required in either case is the willingness to give your life.

Woobniggurath

Far easier to feel that your sacrifice is productive through violent conflict than through knowing submission to violence without equivalent retribution.

Calypso_1

Is it?

Rhoid Rager

There’s a dependence on the central core premised in both approaches. They both assume the human condition can be ameliorated through confrontation. But whose condition is being ameliorated in such a case? Surely not the parties to confrontation.
It takes time, but learning to disengage, evade and remain discreet and discrete to ‘wait things out’ is the sage’s task.

Calypso_1

PS:
Ghandi ☝

Calypso_1

Ghandi didn’t think so.

Woobniggurath

You have to expand on that one.

Calypso_1

What is it with wanting other people to do your homework?

Woobniggurath

With your apparent level of education and broad experience surely you have some ideas about little-known information which would be beneficial to share generally among the curious and change-motivated who frequent this internet site. Why don’t you post in stead of just commenting?

Calypso_1

You could find it in 10 sec and 2 or 3 words on google. Why did you deprive yourself of the endeavor instead of panhandling? Motivated indeed.

Woobniggurath

You miss my point.

echar

All one huge CON. Well said Woobniggurath, they are profiting from all this while you suffer the brunt and pain. Aw, man, wow, the point! Wow! Zealots.

Calypso_1

I bypassed it.

Woobniggurath

Ignored.

Woobniggurath

Reframed.

Woobniggurath

Again.

Calypso_1

Will do.

Rhoid Rager

He sounds like one tough son of a bitch. Sheer will. Is that a heritable trait?

Calypso_1

If you specifically mean within the family, I would say yes – when it comes to grace under fire. Certainly that can have benefits, but I don’t believe that form of will is directly transferable to all circumstances. If one is drawn towards the courses of actions that manifest the greatest will then the horizon becomes narrowed. And will is as manipulable as any other human characteristic.

Rhoid Rager

Interesting. But is the grace-under-fire trait in your family inherited or taught or mimicked by each generation?
I largely agree with the channelling of individual will to the courses of action that manifest the greatest will appearing to narrow the horizon of choices; however, of great interest to me are the cases of turning points of will where the horizon is, again, unilaterally expanded–the proverbial soldier who drops his weapon and walks off into the jungle.

I’m sorry I never replied to your lengthy comment of two weeks ago. I meditated on it for some time, parsed the Web site you sent and conjured up the beginnings of a thoughtful reply in my head, but I had a large job come in (as they sometimes do) and my concentration lapsed. I’m sure will be able to speak more on the topic of consciousness and emergence (metasystem transition) again in the future.

Calypso_1

I would say both. I’ve certainly been taught a great deal; heritage, military aphorism, a certain acumen that comes from a long line of threat assessment. However, I believe there is a much to be had in a particular nature of autonomic nervous system that has been selected for in these environments. You’ve got to train an Alsatian, but that is what they are bred for.

As for your analogy to walking off into the jungle – perhaps I can tell you a story someday in another setting.

No worries about the post. Those ideas are always with me and will take years of continued formulation. Perhaps I’ll actually find my jumping off point and figure out what I’m supposed to do with all of it.

I do think it’s funny that many “revolutionaries” are so shocked that their opposition actually intends to put up a fight, If you want to win you have to fight. the other side isn’t going to surrender because you have a trendy haircut and a snarky attitude

https://twitter.com/anti_euclidean ÿ

Hipster Einstein disagrees with that statement…

Hadrian999

the man who gave the world atomic weapons and nuke plants, he picked sides in a contest of empires, he was no revolutionary

https://twitter.com/anti_euclidean ÿ

ideas can be bombs, sometimes literally…

Hadrian999

easy mass murder for the nation states that can afford it, quite the ideal

https://twitter.com/anti_euclidean ÿ

you forgot rogue states and “terrorist” organizations…

Hadrian999

If it ever actually happens than I will consider that a threat, as it stands One party and one party only has used atomic weapons again’t their fellow humans

https://twitter.com/anti_euclidean ÿ

I guess we have differing opinions of what constitutes use against humans…

When I think on this for awhile, I always have to remind myself of the abandoned and burned out “hardware” that litters the plains of Afghanistan; of both Russian (Soviet) and American make. The dreams of empires, slowly rusting into oblivion.

Hadrian999

what would be worse losing Afghanistan or actually possessing it

Cortacespedes

I think the same will eventually be said of every country.

Empire: More trouble than it’s worth.

Hadrian999

I don’t know, Hawaii didn’t turn out too unpleasant

BuzzCoastin

ya gotta kill off 90% of the population
to pull that off
Hawaii is strategic for controling Asia
Afghanistan is strategicfor controling opium

Hadrian999

then get on with the pacification then, shouldn’t be that hard if they pretending to play nice

BuzzCoastin

contaminated blankets
and aMerkinization
should do the trick

Calypso_1

Perhaps the national pastime of playing polo with a dead goat makes them immune to both.

all of the above. but primarily time, which plays into the geo-political power. it’s the central hub of the eurasia pivot doctrine through which major power transitions of various people groups have taken place for millennia

Woobniggurath

Is it interesting that being in the hub of global events means you get ground to component elements?

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

Flashman.

Calypso_1

and the mighty Hawk of the Hills

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

When the ‘arf-made recruity goes out to the East
‘E acts like a babe an’ ‘e drinks like a beast,
An’ ‘e wonders because ‘e is frequent deceased
Ere ‘e’s fit for to serve as a soldier.
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
So-oldier OF the Queen!

Now all you recruities what’s drafted to-day,
You shut up your rag-box an’ ‘ark to my lay,
An’ I’ll sing you a soldier as far as I may:
A soldier what’s fit for a soldier.
Fit, fit, fit for a soldier . . .

First mind you steer clear o’ the grog-sellers’ huts,
For they sell you Fixed Bay’nets that rots out your guts—
Ay, drink that ‘ud eat the live steel from your butts—
An’ it’s bad for the young British soldier.
Bad, bad, bad for the soldier . . .

When the cholera comes — as it will past a doubt—
Keep out of the wet and don’t go on the shout,
For the sickness gets in as the liquor dies out,
An’ it crumples the young British soldier.
Crum-, crum-, crumples the soldier . . .

But the worst o’ your foes is the sun over’ead:
You must wear your ‘elmet for all that is said:
If ‘e finds you uncovered ‘e’ll knock you down dead,
An’ you’ll die like a fool of a soldier.
Fool, fool, fool of a soldier . . .

If you’re cast for fatigue by a sergeant unkind,
Don’t grouse like a woman nor crack on nor blind;
Be handy and civil, and then you will find
That it’s beer for the young British soldier.
Beer, beer, beer for the soldier . . .

Now, if you must marry, take care she is old—
A troop-sergeant’s widow’s the nicest I’m told,
For beauty won’t help if your rations is cold,
Nor love ain’t enough for a soldier.
‘Nough, ‘nough, ‘nough for a soldier . . .

If the wife should go wrong with a comrade, be loath
To shoot when you catch ’em—you’ll swing, on my oath!—
Make ‘im take ‘er and keep ‘er: that’s Hell for them both,
An’ you’re shut o’ the curse of a soldier.
Curse, curse, curse of a soldier . . .

When first under fire an’ you’re wishful to duck,
Don’t look nor take ‘eed at the man that is struck,
Be thankful you’re livin’, and trust to your luck
And march to your front like a soldier.
Front, front, front like a soldier . . .

When ‘arf of your bullets fly wide in the ditch,
Don’t call your Martini a cross-eyed old bitch;
She’s human as you are — you treat her as sich,
An’ she’ll fight for the young British soldier.
Fight, fight, fight for the soldier . . .

When shakin’ their bustles like ladies so fine,
The guns o’ the enemy wheel into line,
Shoot low at the limbers an’ don’t mind the shine,
For noise never startles the soldier.
Start-, start-, startles the soldier . . .

If your officer’s dead and the sergeants look white,
Remember it’s ruin to run from a fight:
So take open order, lie down, and sit tight,
And wait for supports like a soldier.
Wait, wait, wait like a soldier . . .

When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

Yes, but oh so lucrative.

Jonas Planck

The tank from Damnation Alley? I guess the desert won where the nuclear war failed… Armor plated angel motor pony express.

splat

why is this called “a boot stamping on a human face forever”, seriously crap, indulgent and misleading title

BrainofJFK

George Orwell — ‘If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.’

If I was a gambling man, I’d put all my money on that they were referring to this quote.

Mr Grim

A gambling man, or one with even a modicum of education.

misinformation

An anonymous online zinger from #i’masmugcoolguy – follow him

splat

i don’t remember that quote and i know orwell reasonably well, i guess it does make a bit more sense in that context, still i think it’s not the best

godozo

The Government, forever victorious against the people. Freely stomping without fear of reprisal, resistance or even requests of mercy. And without needing to ALWAYS use “force” against those who would think of opposing it.

Quite a distance from what George Orwell thought, but it’s an extension of his intent (he was thinking that there would be people who would take pleasure of putting on the boot to stamp faces – which exists, but then why actively stomp when the people don’t even think of not lying down, face up, ready for being stomped on?).

Woobniggurath

I think this post epitomizes exactly what Orwell foresaw.

BuzzCoastin

The ‘Holy Grail of Crowd Control’
is
don’t be in a crowd when the pull out these weapons
in fact,
skip the crowd entirely
and have your own revolution

echar

Be well, and raise your family to be the same. This is the best way to constructively influence the community, from my perspective.

Eztrenk

I saw that very same picture back in 2006 and they apparently already had it back then too.

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

I really don’t have a problem with this. I mean, it’s not like they gonna be killing people, only hitting them with some of this non-leathal stuff and throwing them in prisons and stuff. I mean, let’s get real here, Isn’t keeping them contained better than just killing them off?

Jonas Planck

Yeah, dead slaves are notoriously non-productive.

http://americancannibal.org/ American Cannibal

Fascist Tip #524: You get more productivity from a captive audience. Don’t just let prisoners sit there to fart around and wait out their sentences, use them! Put them to work @ .35¢/hr., and balance the budget. Thanks

Jonas Planck

I can’t help but give a sardonic chuckle whenever they use the lie, “non-lethal” to describe their domestic weaponry in the War on Democracy… This joke goes back about ten years, when I first saw a documentary about such weapons that was CLEARLY produced by the people who made them for the purposes of selling them…This much was evident in the glowing praise of the “merciful” nature of them, and the distinct reluctance to even mention any possible drawbacks to using high-tech weaponry against your own citizens. The stand-out moment was when they described as non-lethal a laser capable of burning a hole through car roof in less than a second, because it could be used to “pop tires” on a fleeing vehicle from five miles away. They failed to mention that laser that can cut through steel can easily melt your entire head in seconds, because I guess they presumed that any operator wouldn’t use it for that purpose, whether deliberately, or “accidentally.”
That’s a lot saying guns are non-lethal weapons, because they COULD be used to shoot your enemies’ guns out of their hands in the style of the G-rated singing cowboys from a more sanitized age…

Reuben_the_Red

Technological expressions, and indirectly also economic expressions (as these have all been expensive to develop/manufacture/distribute) of the fear the ruling classes feel toward everyone else. Contempt of democracy, as Chomsky puts it. Much contempt and brutality and violence and this kind of extra-judicial punishment/torture comes from a deep seat of fear, fear of a society that is allowed to make its own decisions. Fear of anything that might marginally inhibit or reduce or otherwise alter the steady drain/redistribution of wealth to the few at the top, and their minions and yes men. This is a major investment in crowd control, and on some levels it’s irrational and paranoid, when most protests are mostly peaceful, and when most protestors only turn violent when police escalate/riot/use shit like this on people. But on other levels, it’s probably a worthwhile economic investment, as opposed to making concessions like reasonably-funded public education and housing programs, reasonably-priced education, and fair elections.

Bottom line: if we could go into a voting booth and make a difference, there would be no need for “crowd control.” A democracy is a government of “crowd control,” loosely speaking.

Oginikwe

What kind of warped, screwed-up mind thinks this shit up?!
Don’t these people ever ask themselves, “Well, we can but should we?”